Get a Standing Desk

Illustration: Joel Kimmel

Your job is killing you. If you sit at a desk for more than four hours a day, you increase your risk of death from any cause by nearly 50 percent and boost your risk of heart problems by 125 percent. Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic was so spooked by his own research that he slid a hospital tray over a $400 treadmill and started walking as he typed. Here are two uprights that will help you stay alive.

Buy

Locus Workstation

Created by industrial designer Martin Keen—yes, the footwear guy—the new Locus workstation from Focal strikes a posture that’s halfway between standing and sitting. Keen started sketching prototypes for a standing desk way back in 1996, after getting sick of tilting forward on two legs of his stool to reach his drafting table. “It’s amazing how many people are looking for a solution,” Keen says. And unlike most of the “solutions” on the market today, his actually looks good.

The Focal has multiple seat pan and cushion options, with an adjustable desktop that comfortably accommodates a height range of 4’11” to 6’11”. $1,800 and up

Hack

Ikea DIY Desk

Inspired by Colin Nederkoorn, who offers instructions and a shopping list for his smart Ikea hack, the Standesk 2200, on his web page, Wired senior writer Mat Honan rigged this cheap-and-dirty desktop in our Gadget Lab. Here’s what you’ll need to make it yourself

Lack side table: $8

11-inch Ekby Viktor Shelf: $6

11-inch Ekby Valter bracket (two): $4 each

Screws from office supply cabinet: free

If you can’t figure this out by looking at it, download assembly instructions from Nederkoorn’s site: iamnotaprogrammer.com. $22